[Advaita-l] [advaitin] A talk in Sanskrit on 'Darkness is material' (bhAvarUpa)

[Sudhanshu Shekhar]

Namaste Michael ji.

How the text distinguishes between vishaya and vishayi is not as two
> substances but as real and unreal (*satya anṛte mithunīkṛtya*) which are
> opposed to each other epistemologically not ontologically. Who commonly
> takes darkness to be a thing?
>

I don't think the argument "who commonly takes darkness to be a thing" has
any value whatsoever.

Also, the whole idea of BhAshyakAra here is to merely posit two things
which cannot have tAdAtmya. Two entities which have mutual-anAtmatA. Light
and darkness are two entities which have such mutual-anAtmatA.

Since they have mutual anAtmatA, if one is satya, the other has to
necessarily be anrita.

Now, regarding the ontic status of anrita, there are different frameworks.
One can choose. However, that is not the point in adhyAsa bhAshya. Here,
AchArya seeks to explain the tAdAtmya of two things which have mutual
anAtmatA. Light-darkness, AtmA-anAtmA are such entities.

*anAtmA is not AtmA-abhAva. Darkness is not prakAsha-abhAva.*

Regards.
Sudhanshu Shekhar.